Looking for Postpartum Abdominal Help in Grand Rapids, Michigan? Our pregnancy and postpartum specialist physical therapists provide you personalized and comprehensive treatment to get your abs strong and functioning again while also addressing pelvic floor dysfunction, prolapse, scar tissue, back pain, posture or other postpartum issues!
Patients have told us that the help they receive for their postpartum abdominal wall recovery has been life-changing and the best thing they have done for themselves.
Our licensed physical therapists have advanced training specific to the needs of rehabilitating postpartum women so their abdominal wall and pelvic floor can get back to top form.
If you are interested in learning more about receiving a personalized and comprehensive postpartum physical therapy evaluation and treatment to help your abdominal wall here at our clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan or via telerehab for those who qualify, call (616) 516-4334 to chat with one of our knowledgeable team members or reach out to us here with your questions and we will be in touch.
A lot of the women we work with tell us they didn’t know that there are physical therapists who specialize in helping postpartum abdominal wall rehabilitation as well as pelvic floor issues.
I’ve been doing this work for more than 25 years and, in fact, completed my doctorate in physical therapy in 2003 with a thesis regarding physical therapy and pregnancy related issues. Helping women fully recover so you can feel whole, be active, run around and confident in your body is our mission here at Purple Mountain PT. I established Purple Mountain Physical Therapy in Grand Rapids to help women fully recover from their pregnancy, so their abdominal wall is strong, their pelvic floor controls urine and they can run and jump without pelvic pain, C-section scar pain, prolapse or leaking. If you are interested in learning more about our pelvic health rehabilitation program for postpartum abdominal help at our clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan or via telerehab, for those who qualify, call us at (616) 516-4334 or contact us here with your questions and we will be in touch!
Interested to hear what another mom, just like you said about our postpartum rehabilitation treatment? She provided a 5 star review:
The quality of care you receive at Purple Mountain PT is far above and beyond any other physical therapy I have had over the years! I have been fortunate enough to be treated by two of their PTs and I can confidently say they are by far the most knowledgeable and effective clinicians I have ever seen. I first came to Purple Mountain seeking treatment for my pelvic floor issues postpartum, and combined with my history of posture issues and shoulder injury I came to them at what felt like rock bottom. Both are very knowledgeable and compassionate, I have learned so much from them about how these issues are interconnected and have gained a level of understanding about my own body that I never was previously aware of. I have felt so supported and empowered through my recovery, and I am confident that I will end up better than I even was before my pregnancy thanks to the expert care! I cannot recommend them enough – pelvic floor dysfunction, back pain, posture issues and more – your whole body harmony and wellness is not something to be taken lightly, and in the right hands you can get remarkable results and be set up for long term success! They are truly one in a million and I am forever grateful that I found Purple Mountain Physical Therapy!~New Mom working on her postpartum recovery, pain relief, abdominal wall improvement and pelvic floor dysfunction
A sample of the many things that our PTs are asked or told by our patients who are looking for postpartum abdominal help:
What happened to my abdominals? They are so weak.
Why do I have a Mommy Shelf?
Why do I still look pregnant?
My C-section has a shelf, what can I do about it?
My abdomen bulges when I do sit ups, can that be fixed?
Should I avoid planks and sit ups because of my diastasis recti abdominis?
Our PTs specialize in pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Because of this, we know how to help you recover your abdominal wall integrity + pelvic floor strength and bladder control.
When postpartum all of the abdominal muscles and the linea alba connective tissue need to reconfigure and learn to coordinate and be strong. Our physical therapists will help your postpartum abdominal muscles come back to life. We guide you through progressive exercises, based upon what your abdominal wall needs (not too much, not too little!) so you can learn to engage the abdominal muscles in a coordinated and effective way without worsening diastasis recti abdominis issues, straining the linea alba, compromising your low back or ineffectively engaging the diaphragm, pelvic floor or deep or superficial abdominals. Often our patients have fear of worsening their diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) bulge or of doing the wrong exercises that might harm their healing. Our PTs specifically check you, while doing each exercise, to determine what is appropriate for your body. There is no list of approved exercises and harmful exercises, because it depends on your body’s ability to adapt to and deal with the load and strain that the exercise is generating. This is where personalized care is very important, we are not guessing what would help you; in your appointment we figure out what you need and teach you how to do these exercises effectively.
What do our pelvic PTs do to help you rehabilitate your postpartum abdominal wall?
*A detailed evaluation to determine what is going on.
*Rehabilitative ultrasound to measure your diastasis recti abdominis, to see if your deepest abdominals are impaired, to measure the balance between your obliques and your deepest abdominals and to retrain your pelvic floor muscles + deep abdominals.
*We provide hands-on manual therapies that are whole body in nature. These optimize your joint mobility, posture, flexibility, strength and release tension and restrictions in myofascial tissues, including those in your thoracic spine and low back so that there is not pulling into your abdominal wall
*We carefully retrain your core muscles, through graduated and progressive strengthening that takes into account your unique issues and goals. *Treatment for your pelvic floor and low back is included in your abdominal wall rehabilitation because these muscles are part of your core, just as your abs are.
*Pelvic floor dysfunction will compromise the ability of your abs to work, therefore getting retraining these muscles is part of your prescription for success. We detail more information about pelvic PT here.
*Improve strength in your low back, hips, thighs and upper back, because these areas contribute to abdominal function.
Each patient coming here to our clinic in Grand Rapids, MI for abdominal wall, pelvic floor or postpartum recovery help receives a private, one-on-one, 55 minute appointment with their doctor of physical therapy. We love what we do and providing you undivided attention and our skilled eye gives you the opportunity to receive comprehensive treatment from a properly trained doctor of physical therapy.
The exercises we give you to retrain your postpartum abdominal wall are not easy, but also they are not overwhelmingly difficult, because we know how to teach you to do them effectively and correctly.
- We are the only clinic to offer patients rehabilitative ultrasound, a specialized use of ultrasound to measure and watch your muscles. You will be able to get immediate feedback, see your abdominals in action (or working incorrectly) and figure out how to retrain your postpartum abs.
- You can expect that as your abdominals improve, we will progressively advance your rehabilitation program and teach you what to be doing at home.
- For postpartum abdominal help we include assessment and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction because the pelvic floor muscles work together with the abs, so if one of these is not functioning well, the other is also impaired.
- Treatment is provided either in person at our clinic in Grand Rapids or via telerehabilitation for those who qualify.
If you are tired of your postpartum abdominals appearing to still be pregnant or feeling weak or bulging when you exercise, we can help you.
Purple Mountain PT is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We specialize in pelvic health, pregnancy & postpartum recovery, spine and TMJ disorders. Call 616-516-4334 for more info or ask us a question here and we will be in touch!
Peace,
Founder of Purple Mountain Physical Therapy and Pelvic Health Specialist for over 25 years. Devoted to creating a space for patients to receive excellence in care, get answers, feel supported and to be active and fit again. All of the PTs at Purple Mountain PT are personally trained by Dr. Maureen O’Keefe, DPT and specialize in pelvic health, spine and TMJ disorders.
You may be interested in reading these articles:
How Do You Feel About Your Postpartum Recovery? Would Pelvic PT help you?
Exercise in Pregnancy: A Physical Therapists Perspective
Diastasis Recti Abdominis Rehab Program
